Thanksgiving Fun for Kids: Turkey Target Practice

When you have active kids, you have to have a way to entertain them at family get-togethers like Thanksgiving.

I mean, no one wants them running through the kitchen sampling all the food or worse, wrestling in the living room where adults are trying to talk.

No, those end up in fits and fights that can disrupt and entire holiday

One thing my kids do like is Nerf guns. Sure they can shoot each other with the Nerf guns, but sometimes that still ends in fights.

Why not hunt for turkeys instead!

Supplies for a Kids Turkey Hunt

Gerber Puffs Containers
Scrapbook Paper
Googly Eyes
Scissors
Hot Glue
Nerf Guns

How to Make Turkeys for Target Practice

I started with a Gerber Puffs container and scrapbook paper. (I have saved these containers for so long; I was happy to finally find a use for some!)

I cut out a turkey body that would fit the Puffs containers and a whole bunch of colored feathers.

I used hot glue to glue it all together and add paper noses, wattles, and googly eyes. Is that what they are called, googly eyes? Does anyone really know?

After I had all my turkeys made; I hot glued them to the containers.

Ta-da! Cute little turkeys to shoot. Although Eli tried to call them ducks; they do look like turkeys, right???

At our first Thanksgiving we tried it outside. The wind made it a little hard because the turkeys wanted to blow over.

Once we found a less windy spot the girls had fun shooting them over and over. My son preferred to steal them and hug them.

At the next Thanksgiving, my nieces took over!

We set the turkeys in a hallway this time. I'm all for keeping warm, but be sure to do it in an area without breakables.

I don't even know how many times they shot those poor turkeys. They held up though!

Games to Play with Turkey Target Practice

We didn't play with any real rules, but some kids, especially older kids, may like more of a challenge.

So here are some challenge ideas:

Who can hit the most.
Who can hit the furthest.
Draw an actual target on them and keep score.
Place turkeys in different locations and see who can hit them all.
Play a game a HORSE like you would in basketball taking turns shooting from different locations.